Rotational apparatus for welding beam-mount structure to the side(s) of a column

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for precision deploy-attaching beam-mount structure to the outside of an elongate column at plural, defined attachment sites that are distributed and spaced along the length of the column. During use, a column support jig with plural openable/closeable yokes in the apparatus supports a column horizontally for selective rotation about its long axis. A carriage in the apparatus, which holds beam-mount structures to be attached to a supported column, is selectively moveable and position-lockable in defined locations distributed along the supported column between yokes in a pair of spaced yokes to enable precision weld-attaching of the mounts to sides of the column.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/080,863, filed Apr. 7, 2008, for “Rotational Apparatus for WeldingBeam-Mount Structure to the Side(s) of a Column”, which is a Division ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/938,909, filed Sep. 9, 2004, for“Rotational Method and Apparatus for Welding Beam-Mount Structure to theSides of a Column”, which application claims priority to the filing dateof U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/503,071, filed Sep.14, 2003 for “Rotational Method and Apparatus for Welding Beam-EndAttaching Components to the Side of a Column”. The contents of thoseprior-filed, U.S. patent applications are hereby incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to building frame structure, and in particularto an apparatus for performing precision-placement, anddeployment-attaching and welding, of plural beam-end attachingcomponents, referred to also herein as beam mounts, and as beam-mountstructure, to plural spaced regions, or sites, that are distributedalong the outer sides of elongate, hollow-tube steel columns, whichsites are disposed angularly about the long axes of such columns.Especially, it relates to such deployment-attachment and welding whichis conducted in an efficient and precision manner that introduces nonoticeable column warping, or other heat-induced deformation, even inextremely long unitary columns, such as those having lengths, forexample, of many story-heights (up to, for example, about four to abouteight stories).

For a number of important reasons which include, among other things, adesire for large strength-to-weight ratios in columns, tubular steelcolumns are highly desirable for use in plural-story buildings.Especially long, unitary columns are also desirable in that they cangreatly reduce building-frame assembly time by minimizing the number ofcolumn-to-column (stack) connections that are necessary to achieve fullbuilding-frame height. Such columns, however, can present challengesduring manufacture, and later during assembly with beams, regardingwhich (in both cases) there are manufacturing and assembling stepswherein it is conventional that high heat (due to welding operations) is(or may be) involved. Such heat can prove to be a difficult culprit (a)during manufacture where a column can warp or twist (even slightly)during cool-down, and (b) during building-frame assembly where extremelocal hot regions created during welding operations can introducesimilar undesirable, and often difficult to correct or manage,deformations.

There is a recently developed building-frame system with respect towhich the present invention offers particular utility. This system isdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,016, issued Jan. 4, 2005, covering aninvention entitled “Moment-Resistant Building Frame StructureComponentry and Method”. This patent describes a type of collar-form,precision interconnect structure which is employed in a building frameto interconnect upright columns and horizontal beams. The collar form ofinterconnection illustrated and described in this patent is generallyillustrated herein in drawing FIG. 1—a fragmentary picturing of thissystem which provides a background for developing an understanding ofthe basic principals, the structure and the operation of the apparatusof the present invention. As will be seen in FIG. 1, the interconnectsystem shown there, collar-form in nature, includes what are referred toin the referenced patent as inner and outer collar members, the innerones of which, referred to herein as beam mounts, are designed to beattached, as by welding, to outside faces in a generally square crosssection, tubular steel column, and the outer members in which areintended to be attached, as by welding, to the ends of I-beams which areto be anchored to the sides of columns. These outer members are alsoreferred to as beam-end attaching components, or members. The inner andouter collar members complementarily interconnect in a gravity-seatingmanner through complementary, bevel-edged male and female interfacesubstructures.

The desirability of employing hollow tubular columns in a building framestructure has thus been outlined generally above for background reasons,and as will now be seen, the present invention involves a uniqueapparatus for deploying and weld-attaching beam mounts in clusters whichare appropriately distributed along the length of, and on the outsidesurfaces, or sides, of such a column. Such deployed and attached beammounts ultimately provide attaching (anchoring) locations for the endsof beams equipped with a beam-end attaching component, such as thosementioned above, and generally illustrated in FIG. 1. Very specifically,the present invention offers a unique apparatus which enables precision,and non-heat-deforming, deploying and attaching of clusters of such beammounts to the outer sides in such a column. Use of the apparatus of theinvention is also referred to herein both as implementation, and aspractice, of the invention.

As will be seen, the apparatus of the present invention is employablecompletely, and advantageously, in an off-site manner, and underprecision control, including computer and robotic control if desired, soas to prepare columns for delivery to a building site with beam-mountsaccurately secured in place on undeformed elongate columns, and thuswithout there being any requirement for on-site workers to conduct anywelding or attaching of such mounts to a column.

The preferred apparatus and its use in implementing the invention, ashas just been suggested, is described and illustrated herein withreference to preparing an elongate, tubular, square cross section columnwith clusters of beam mounts—four per cluster, with each such four-mountcluster having, essentially, a single-building-story longitudinalseparation, or spacing, along the column from each next-adjacentbeam-mount cluster. The four mounts in a cluster are disposed (one each)on the four individual faces of such a column.

In this implementation, an elongate jig is provided in accordance withthe teachings and preferred apparatus of the present invention. In thisjig, swing-up-swing-down end (and if desired intermediate) standscarrying appropriate idler support rollers are located along an elongateframe which forms part of this jig to receive a horizontally placed“raw” column which, as suggested earlier herein, may have a length upto, say, as much as about eight building stories. For the purpose ofillustration herein, such a column is illustrated with a considerablyshorter length in order to employ, in the drawings, a more appropriatescale for an understanding of the invention. In the jig, a “raw” columnplaced on these stands rests at a predetermined elevation, and can beshifted to a proper longitudinal position, as will be explained, asaccommodated by the idler rollers which are present in thejust-mentioned support stands.

At locations spaced along the jig frame, and thus along the length of astand-supported column, where particular column support is to befurnished during use of the apparatus of the invention, and typicallywith what is referred to herein as a single-building-story longitudinalseparation, removable, circular-perimeter guide rings, or rings, areattached to the outside of a stand-supported column. Opposed,openable/closeable swing-arm yokes whose arms carry appropriate idlerrollers are distributed in and along the jig. With a column supported onthe mentioned stands, and the mentioned guide rings attached to theoutside of that column, the arms in these yokes are closed to engagetheir arm-carried idler rollers with the perimeters of the attachedrings. Such closing action of the yoke arms operates to lift the columnfrom the support stands (which are then appropriately lowered to be outof the way), with the guide rings and yokes then (a) maintaining thecolumn in essentially a horizontal condition, (b) stabilizing the columnlongitudinally, and (c) accommodating, importantly, selective rotationof the column substantially about its own long axis. Such rotation isspecifically accommodated by the rolling inter-engagement which existsbetween the perimeters of the attached column guide rings and the idlerrollers which are carried on the opposed swing-arms of the yokes. Thesignificance of such selective rotateability will become apparent.

Generally in this condition of things, an elongate, squirrel-cagecarriage is suitably mounted on a supported column through sets ofengaging idler rollers which are mounted on, and disposed adjacentopposite ends, of the carriage. These rollers (a) permit low-resistanceshifting, or translating, of the carriage along the column, with thecolumn thus significantly acting as a travel way for the carriage, andat the same time (b) effectively “lock” the carriage and column forrotation as a unit with rotation of the column about its own long axis(as accommodated by the attached rings and the supporting idlers rollerscarried on the swing-arms in the yokes).

The carriage is designed with appropriate precision-positioned mounting,or staging, structure prepared to carry “clusters” of deployable andattachable beam mounts (four mounts per cluster), with such carried beammounts being orthogonally related to one another on the carriage aboutthe long axis of a column (with the carriage in place on the column).The mentioned clusters are, during implementation of the invention, tobe weld-attached as a part of deployment to the four outside faces of asupported column at distributed attachment sites that are spaced alongthe column. Preferably, these attachment sites, with the column in placesupported by the yokes, are located longitudinally relatively closelyadjacent the yokes. Proper longitudinal positioning, or indexing, of thecarriage with respect to these sites is accommodated, for example, by ashiftable locking pin which is carried on the carriage, and which can bemoved into locking contact with a previously prepared small recess, orbore, provided in a side of a column (one recess or bore associated witheach beam-mount cluster attaching site). With the carriage mounted on acolumn, the long axis of the carriage is substantially coincident withthe long axis of the then associated column.

The reference just above made to precision positioning regarding thecarriage-carried mounting structure for beam mounts is very significant.This precision positioning is such that the four mounts in a clusterthereof held by the carriage are precisely positioned relative to oneanother, whereby when they become attached to the sides of a column, nomatter whether there is some kind of a modest column deformity at thelocation of attachment, the resultingly column-attached beam mounts willfunction with precision, close-tolerance correctness in the ultimatelyassembled building frame wherein they function to interconnect beam endswith the column.

The carriage has what are referred to herein as upstream and downstreamends, and during practice of the invention the carriage is movedprogressively downstream along the column, from attachment site tonext-adjacent attachment site, between the yokes. Movement from oneattachment site to the next is accomplished and accommodated by openingof the appropriate yoke arms, and by temporary removal of the associatedattached column collar, so as to the permit free passage of the carriagepast the location of that yoke. The downstream-end idler rollers on thecarriage which are interposed the carriage and a supported column, whichend always faces that length-portion of a supported column to which nobeam mounts have yet been attached to the column faces, are disposed toengage and ride directly upon the column faces. The upstream-endcarriage idler rollers, however, are disposed to engage and ride uponthe column corners which define the intersections of the column faces.These upstream rollers need to “ride clear” of all just-previouslydeployed and attached beam mounts as the carriage is moved downstreamalong a column during practice of the invention.

As will become apparent to those skilled in the art, while practice ofthe present invention is specifically described herein in conjunctionwith a particular style of beam mount, intended for use in a particularstyle of precision building frame structure (as will be more fullydescribed), other types of beam-mount structures, and the like, mayreadily be accommodated by an appropriate modification of the structureof the invention. Such a modification will, as needed, become fullyappreciated by those skilled in the art.

When the carriage is indexed and located properly adjacent a yoke and anassociated column attachment site for the attachment of a cluster ofbeam mounts, tack welding is performed, either manually, or, if desired,under robotic computer control, during deploy-attaching of acarriage-carried and supported cluster of beam mounts, with a selectedpattern of attachment-related column and carriage rotation taking placebetween successive tack-welding operations. More specifically, and ateach given beam-mount-attaching location along a column, tack welding isperformed with respect to the edges of a pair of beam mounts which areupwardly facing at the time of tack welding (as will be described withreference to two different illustrations provided herein). Followingthis operation, the beam and carriage are rotated preferably 180° aboutthe beam's own long axis to expose another set of beam-mount edges fortack-welding and attachment. Such tack welding is then performed withrespect to these edges, and immediately thereafter, the beam andcarriage are subjected to a second rotational operation—this time a 90°rotation—to expose yet another pair of upwardly-facing beam-mount edgesfor tack welding and attachment. Such attachment and welding isperformed then for these now upwardly exposed edges, and immediatelythereafter, a third beam and carriage rotation takes place, againthrough an angle of about 180° to expose the still unattached and finaltwo beam-mount edges for upwardly facing tack attachment. If desired,during all of this deployment and tack-welding activity which isaccommodated by the invention, a flow of heating or cooling gas, such asambient air, or intentionally heated air, may be directed through thehollow interior of the beam to aid in intentional pre-heating and/orcooling-down after welding.

Such rotational deployment and attachment activity, with a columnsupported as described, and with attachment taking place at locationswhich are disposed closely adjacent the yokes in the mentioned jigstructure, has demonstrated that heat-introduced column deformationsimply does not occur in any noticeable and undesirable manner.

As will be seen from the description which is presented below, followingdeployment-attachment of the beam mounts in a cluster of such mounts ata given location along the length of a supported column, the appropriatesupporting swing-arm yoke can be “opened” to allow the carriage to beshifted downwardly (i.e., downstream) along the column toward the nextsite for beam-mount attachment. The rolling contact structure which isinterposed the carriage and a supported column allows for such carriagemovement, with appropriate clearance provided for the just-attached beammounts. The manner in which previously supported and carried beam mountswere carried on the carriage allows these beam mounts and the carriageto “part company” with one another as the carriage shifts downwardlyalong the subject column. Following movement of the carriage away from asite where deployment-attachment has just taken place, the guide ringand yoke adjacent that location are returned to conditions appropriatelysupporting the column, and of course, the carriage is moved to thenext-adjacent attachment-site location. At that location the carriage isre-equipped, or re-armed, with another set, or cluster, of beam mountsin readiness for the next deployment-attachment operation.

The various features and advantages of the invention will now becomemore fully apparent as the detailed description thereof which follows isread in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary isometric view of a precision building frame inwhich the ends of four beams are shown connected through inner and outercollar interconnect components to the outer faces of a tubular, squarecross section steel column. It is with respect to the inner collarcomponents, referred to herein as beam mounts, as column-face specificbeam mounts, and collectively as beam-mount structure, that theapparatus of the present invention is particularly described.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat simplified isometric view of jig-structureapparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a horizontally disposed elongate column,such as the column pictured in FIGS. 1 and 2, illustrating a cluster ofbeam mounts which have been attached to the sides of that column inaccordance with use of the apparatus of the present invention.Specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates attached conditions for the beam mountsin this cluster wherein they are preliminarily deployed and welded tothe four faces in the illustrated column.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary isometric view illustrating a portion of acolumn supported in the jig structure of FIG. 2, and showing portions ofa cluster of beam mounts which have been attached to that column.

FIG. 5 is another fragmentary isometric view showing a longer stretch ofa column with beam mounts attached and supported in the jig structure ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5, with the exception that near the lower leftside of this figure there is shown a hinged, upwardly and downwardlyswingable column support stand which is employed during initial stagesof practice of the invention with respect to the jig structureillustrated in FIG. 2. This stand structure is not shown in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show enlarged views of the stand structure just mentionedwith respect to FIG. 6, with the stand structure illustrated in FIG. 7shown in an out-of-the-way, downwardly disposed condition in the jigstructure of the invention, and with FIG. 8 illustrating the standstructure in an upright and operative condition which it occupies duringinitial support of a column in the jig structure of this invention.

FIG. 9 is an isolated view of pin-together guide ring structurecomponents which are employed on the outside of a column during practiceof the present invention with respect to the operation of the jigstructure of FIG. 2.

FIG. 10-13, inclusive, illustrate different conditions of, andcomponents contained within, swing-arm yoke structure which is employedin the jig structure of this invention with respect to attached guidering structures such as the guide ring structure pictured in FIG. 9.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are fragmentary isometric views illustrating an elongatecolumn supported through guide rings and yokes such as those illustratedin FIGS. 9-13, inclusive.

FIGS. 16, 17, and 18 illustrate in an isometric view, in an axial endview, and in a side elevation, respectively, the fundamental preferredstructure of a carriage which is employed with respect to the jigstructure of FIG. 2 in the practice of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged and simplified side view of the carriage of FIGS.16-18, inclusive, illustrating structure employed in that carriage forenabling arming of the carriage of this invention with beam mounts in anorthogonally related cluster of such mounts intended fordeployment-attachment, in accordance with use of the present invention,to the sides of a structural column.

FIG. 20 presents an isolated isometric view of the just-mentionedcarriage structure of the invention.

FIG. 21 illustrates, fragmentarily, and in an isometric presentation,the carriage of this invention mounted for shifting and translationalong an elongate column with respect to an opened set of swing arms ina yoke structure which forms part of the jig structure of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate opposite end views of the carriage of thepresent invention, showing the locations of idler rollers which supportopposite ends of the carriage for shifting and translation along acolumn during practice of the invention.

FIG. 24-26, inclusive, illustrate two different representativerotational weld attachment procedures which may be implemented inaccordance with use of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning now to the drawings, and referring first of all to FIG. 1,illustrated fragmentarily and generally, and also in a somewhatsimplified form, at 30 in this figure are portions of a precision,close-tolerance structural building frame which has been constructed inaccordance with the teachings of above-referred-to U.S. Pat. No.6,837,016. Frame structure 30 includes upright tubular, square crosssection elongate steel columns, such as the single column shown at 32,two orthogonally related outside faces of which are seen in FIG. 1 at 32a, 32 b.

Joined to the four orthogonally related faces, such as faces 32 a, 32 b,in column 32 are the ends of four horizontal I-beams, such as thoseshown at 34, with these I-beams being joined to column 32 through astyle of collar interconnect structure 36 which has been constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the referenced '016 patent. Morespecifically, collar interconnect structure 36 is made up of a clusterof four column-face-secured inner collar members, also referred toherein as beam mounts, 38, which are designed to interconnect, throughgravity-mating male and female interface structures, with beam endcomponents 40 which are appropriately attached, as by welding, to thenearby ends of beams 34. As can be seen, the beam mounts and the beamend components are ultimately organized, in an assembled frame structuresuch as frame structure 30, in clusters containing four each of thesetwo different kinds of components. Clusters are distributed along thelength of columns, such as along the length of column 32, separated byessentially single story heights for a particular intended buildingframe.

The present invention is concerned with enabling the use of hollowtubular steel columns, such as column 32, and specifically promoting theprecision deployment and weld-attachment of clusters of beam mounts,such as beam mounts 38, at predetermined attaching sites located with anappropriate distribution along the lengths of the columns. As has beenmentioned earlier, while the present invention is now being described inconjunction with beam mounts such as those generally shown at 38 in FIG.1, and with respect to collar-form interconnect structure betweencolumns and beams, as generally pictured in FIG. 1, it should beappreciated by those skilled in the art that the jig assembly apparatusof the present invention, soon to be described, may be employed withother kinds of beam-mount structures intended for weld-attachment to theoutside surfaces of hollow, elongate columns, such as to the outsidesurfaces of column 32.

With attention directed now to FIG. 2, here shown generally at 42 is anelongate jig, or jig structure, including an elongate frame 44 on andalong which, at appropriately distributed locations, there are includedplural yokes, or yoke structures, such as the three shown in FIG. 2 at46. Preferably, the interfacial regions between yokes 46 and frame 44are constructed in such a fashion that these yokes can be repositionedrelative to one another to deal with different specificcolumn/beam-mount assembly practices, in each of which, next-adjacentyolks are preferably spaced apart, essentially, by an appropriate singlestory-height which is to be associated with the frame structure intowhich a column to be processed in jig 42 is to be employed. This is thecondition which is illustrated in FIG. 2 with respect to a column whichis essentially the same as the column pictured in FIG. 1. The columnshown in FIG. 2 is thus also given the reference numeral 32.

According to the invention, jig 42 accommodates the precision placementof clusters of beam mounts on and along the outside column surfaces atdistributed locations along the length of column 32, and in a mannerwhich permits all of this activity to take place preferably at anoff-site controlled manufacturing facility wherein, if desired, roboticand computer-controlled devices may be employed for precision andefficiency of operation. Accordingly, in such a setting, frame 44 in thejig would typically be anchored suitably to the floor of such afacility.

Directing attention now to FIGS. 3-8 in the drawings along with FIG. 2,wherein components already identified are similarly marked with likereference numerals, FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 specifically illustrate what isreferred to herein as hinged, swing-up/swing-down stand structure, orstructures, 48 appropriately repositionably mounted at locations chosenalong the length of jig frame 44. In FIGS. 6 and 7, a stand structure 48is shown in a swung-down condition beneath a column, and in FIG. 8, aversion of this stand structure is shown in a swung-up condition.Preferably stand structures, or stands, 48 are positioned adjacentopposite ends of frame 44, with a spacing between them which is slightlyless than the expected overall length of the particular elongate column,such as column 32, which is going to be handled during use of theinvention. FIG. 2, for simplicity of drawing purposes, does not includea showing of any stand 48. Additionally, one or more stands may beprovided along the length of jig 42 at locations which lie intermediatenext-adjacent yokes. FIG. 6 shows this situation in particular.

During use of Jig 42 and its associated structure, and as will shortlybe more fully explained, a “raw” column which is to be processed isinitially supported on these stands which are swung upwardly for thispurpose. As can be seen very clearly in FIGS. 7 and 8, stands 48 includepairs of idler rollers 50 which, under the column-supporting conditionjust described, support a column from end-to-end for longitudinal,lateral movement to establish an appropriate longitudinal position forthe column relative to the components of jig 42. A column so supportedis described herein as being held on these stands initially at a certainpredetermined elevation which, in the case now being described, is atsome appropriate elevation above frame 44. The actual elevation is notcritical, but what is important, as will become apparent, is that thisheight is slightly below the ultimate height which a column will havewhen it is fully installed and rotationally supported in jig 42 forprocessing in accordance with the invention.

With reference now particularly to FIGS. 10-13, inclusive, along withFIG. 2, yokes 46 are seen to include each a pair of pivoted, openableand closeable swing arms, such as arms 52, each of which carries a pairof idler rollers, such at the rollers shown at 54. The central one ofthe three yokes shown in FIG. 2 is illustrated with its swing arms open,and the other two yokes in this figure are shown with their swing armsclosed.

In FIGS. 11 and 13, swing arms 52 are shown closed, and in FIGS. 10 and12, the arms are shown in degrees of openness which are less than theopenness shown for the arms in the central yoke pictured in FIG. 2. InFIG. 12 in the drawings, with respect to the two arm-carried idlerrollers 54 which are shown in that figure, one can see that each ofthese rollers is formed with circumferential flanges that defineopposite sides of a perimetral channel on the circumferential outside ofeach roller 54. The purpose for these flanges and the associatedchannels will be explained shortly.

FIG. 12 illustrates at 56 an appropriate screw-adjustment device whichcan be employed, as will be described shortly, to complete finalclosing, and closed-locking, of the swing arms in each yoke.

Looking especially now at FIG. 9 in the drawings, shown there generallyat 58 is a guide ring, or guide ring structure, which is employed in thevicinity of each yoke 46, and which is attached to the outside of acolumn intended to be processed in jig 42. As can be seen, each ring 58is formed as a pair of components 58 a which are releasably heldtogether through removable pins 60.

In practice, and while a column 32 is supported on stands 48, rings,such as ring 58, are attached to the outside of the column at locationswhich are transversely aligned with the then open arms of yokes 46, andin particular, transversely aligned with the perimetral channels thatare formed on the outsides of arm rollers 54. With column 32 in place onstands 48, and guide rings 58 installed appropriately, swing arms 52 arebrought together to close these arms. With closure of arms 52, and withrespect to the idler rollers carried on each such arm, the lower idlerrollers first engage the circular perimeters of the guide rings (seeFIG. 10), and with continued closing of the yoke swing arms, thesefirst-engaged arm rollers lift the collars and the beam upwardly awayfrom stands 48. Stands 48 are then lowered. Fully lifted column 32 isillustrated in FIGS. 4-6, inclusive, 13-15, inclusive, and 21-23,inclusive. The yoke arms are locked in closed conditions in any suitablemanner, as by operation of screw-adjustment devices like that shown at56 in FIG. 12.

Turning attention now to FIGS. 2 and 16-23, inclusive, here illustratedis a squirrel-cage carriage 62 which plays an important role in theoperation of the structure of the present invention. In FIGS. 2, 16-19,inclusive, and 21-23, inclusive, carriage 62 is shown mounted forlow-resistance translational shifting along the length of column 32. InFIG. 20, carriage 62 is shown a separate and isolated structure.

Carriage 62 includes a pair of opposite-end circular plates 64, 66 whichare annular in configuration, and which are joined through four,elongate, orthogonally (relative to the carriage's non-illustrated longaxis) distributed struts 68. Plate 64 defines what is referred to hereinas the downstream end of carriage 62, and plate 66 defines the upstreamend of the carriage. The terms “upstream” and “downstream” are alsoapplied herein with respect to the status of a column, such as column32, which is placed in jig structure 42. More specifically, the left endof column 32, as such in shown in FIG. 2, is referred to as the upstreamend of the column, and the right end as shown for the column in FIG. 2is referred to as the column's downstream end.

Appropriately mounted on struts 68, closer to plate 64 than to plate 66,is mounting, or deploy-attachment staging, structure 70 (seeparticularly FIG. 19) which is designed to accommodate so-called“arming” of carriage 62 with a precision-positioned cluster of pluralbeam mounts 38 disposed in an orthogonal relationship about the longaxis of carriage 62. FIG. 19 specifically illustrates a pair of beammounts 38 so arming carriage 62 on two of the mounting structures 70which are shown in this figure.

Appropriately mounted on downstream carriage plate 64 are four sets ofidler rollers 72, and appropriately mounted on upstream carriage plate66 are four sets of idler rollers 74 (see especially FIGS. 22 and 23).Important to notice here is that idler rollers 72 are arranged to rideon the outside faces of column 32, whereas idler rollers 74 are designedto ride on the corners of intersection between adjacent faces in thecolumn. This arrangement allows appropriate translational downstreamshifting of carriage 62 along the length of column 32 during processing.More specifically, it allows the carriage to travel along a columnwithout any part of it striking any just-installed (deployed-attached)cluster of four beam mounts 38. FIGS. 22 and 23 clearly illustrate thisimportant disposition of idler rollers 72, 74.

Turning attention for a moment specifically to FIG. 19, what one willobserve here is that each of mounting structures 70 is formed with acomponent 76 which has a structure somewhat like that of previouslymentioned beam-end components 40 shown in FIG. 1, whereby beam mounts 38can be put into position for deployment-attachment to the sides of acolumn in a manner which engages these beam mounts much like thatengagement which exists between the inner and outer collar componentspictured in FIG. 1. It will further be observed, particularly withreference to FIG. 19, where the direction of carriage travel alongcolumn 32 is shown by an arrow 78, that when carriage 62 is moveddownstream along column 32 (to the left in FIG. 19), mounting structures70 and beams mounts 38, if the latter have been attached to the side ofcolumn 32, separate and become free from one another, with the beammounts 38 remaining appropriately in place as deployed and attached onthe outer sides of column 32.

Describing now one preferred manner of employing the apparatus of thepresent invention, when jig structure 42 is put to use with respect todeploy-attaching clusters of beam mounts along a column, that column isplaced on the previously mentioned stands in jig 42, with all of theyoke arms in fully opened conditions. Guide rings 58 are appropriatelyinstalled on the outside of the supported column, and when this has beenaccomplished, carriage 62 is appropriately mounted on the columnadjacent the column's upstream end. Carriage 62 is translationallyshifted along the column to position the carriage appropriately near thefirst longitudinal location (column attachment site) along the supportedcolumn wherein a set of beam mounts is first to be deployed-attached tothe supported column. Positional registration and positional locking forthe thus shifted carriage is accommodated by a manually moveable latchpin, such as pin 80 shown in FIGS. 2 and 21, with the free end of thispin which is disposed toward the supported column driven downwardly intoappropriate accommodating bores, such as bores 82, which have beenappropriately prepared in a side of the supported column.

The swing arms in the yokes are then closed upon one another and lockedin closed conditions. Closure of these arms lifts the now fully capturedcolumn upwardly away from the stands, and the stands are folded down soas to be out of the way for further practice of the invention.

The carriage's beam-mount mounting structures 70 are now armed with acluster of four beam mounts. With the carriage thus armed and equippedwith a cluster-set of four beam mounts, and with these beam mountsproperly positioned for deployment-attachment to the sides in column 32,welding is performed to secure the mounts in place. A very usefulfeature of the present invention is that the jig and carriage describedherein, when in cooperative use with one another, result in each clusterof deployable-attachable carriage-carried beam mounts being disposed atlocations which are relatively closely adjacent one of yokes 46. Aresult of this is that, when welding is performed, the subject column issupported by a closely adjacent yoke 46, which condition provides goodanti-heat-distortion stabilization for the column.

When a full set of four mounts in a cluster has been attached to thefaces in column 32, the nearby downstream yoke is opened, the associatedguide ring is removed from the column, and carriage 62 istranslationally shifted in a downstream direction along the column, withthe column acting as a travel way for the carriage.

The carriage is stopped at the next installation site along the column,armed with a new cluster-set of beam mounts 38, registrationallyanchored in place by pin 80, and the new cluster-set of beam mounts 38is then deployed-attached to the sides in the column.

According to the invention, at each positional location of the carriagefor the deploy-attaching of a cluster of beam mounts, beam and carriagerotation is carried out about the longitudinal axis of the column, whichaxis is shown at 32 a in FIGS. 2 and 24-26, inclusive, in the drawings.Because of the nature of the relationship which then exists betweencarriage 62 and column 32, with a cluster-set of beam mounts arming thecarriage, rotation of the beam about its own long axis causes thecarriage to rotate as a unit with the column. FIGS. 24-26 illustrate twoways of usefully implementing such rotation.

Reading FIGS. 24 and 25 together, one deploy-attaching approach proposedby the invention involves orienting the column and carriage to arotational condition with a facial corner of the column facing directlyupwardly. Welds are created at the darkened locations shown at 84 inFIG. 24. The column and carriage are then immediately rotated 180° aboutaxis 32 a, as suggested by curved arrow 86 in FIG. 25. Welds are thenperformed at the same relative locations adjacent the opposite facialcorner of the column, following which the beam and carriage are rotateda second time through a 90° arc, as suggested by curved arrow 88 in FIG.25, and a final set of welds is created.

Following welding after this second rotation, the column and carriageare rotated a third time—this time again through an arc of 180°, assuggested by curved arrow 90 in FIG. 25.

All appropriate welds have thus now been performed for a given singlecluster set of beam mounts, which mounts are now said to have beendeployed-attached relative to the carriage and column. Carriage and beamrotation as just described helps to assure beam-configurationstabilization during the mentioned heated welding operations.

Where, at first if desired, only tack welds are performed, with fullwelds later being performed, a similar pattern of rotation preferablytakes place for the same reason.

Referring to FIGS. 25 and 26 together, another deploy-attaching approachis here illustrated. In this approach, pairs of welds are created asillustrated by darkened welds 92 shown in FIG. 26. The rotations justdescribed above are also preferably employed similarly in this approach.

Yet another operation which may conveniently be employed during use ofthe apparatus of this invention is illustrated by an arrow 94 shownpointing toward the left end of column 32 in FIG. 2. Arrow 94 representsthe creation of a pre-heating and/or cooling gas flow through the hollowinterior of column 32.

A unique structure/apparatus has thus been described and illustrated forpromoting the precision deploy-attaching of beam-mount structure to theouter sides of an elongate column. And, while a preferred and best-modeembodiment of this apparatus has specifically been presented herein, itis appreciated that variations and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

1. Apparatus for deploy-attaching beam-mount structure to the outside ofan elongate column at plural, defined attachment sites that aredistributed and spaced along the length of the column comprising aframe, column support structure mounted on said frame, designed tosupport, releasably, an elongate column with that column's long axisdisposed generally horizontally, said support structure taking the formof plural, spaced, distributed support yokes having openable/closeableswing arms which are closeable to circumsurround the long axis of anelongate column supported on the support structure, and a carriage,including structure adapted to support/transport releasable beam-mountstructure for deploy-attachment to such defined attachment sites on acolumn supported by said support structure, mountable for translation incontact on and along a column supported by said support structure, withthe yokes in said support structure being designed to accommodateshifting of the carriage progressively along the length of a supportedcolumn.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes guide ringsthat are releasably attachable to the outside of a supported column eachin a manner circumsurrounding the long axis of the column, and whereinsaid arms in said yokes carry idlers adapted, with closing of the armsaround a column, to engage and capture said guide rings, and to permitselectable rotation of a guide-ring-supported column within the yokesand about the long axis of the supported column.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 2, wherein passage, during shifting of the carriage along asupported column past a yoke in a support structure, is accommodated byopening of the swing arms in that yoke.